Jayhawks receive all-star invites

Kansas offensive lineman Kobe Baynes (70) lines up for warmups prior to kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Central Florida will play host to a strong crimson-and-blue contingent during the month of January.

Eight Jayhawks have accepted a total of 10 invitations to play in college football all-star games in the Sunshine State, and their participation has been announced on social media over the course of December. These games will give the now-former KU players opportunities to test their mettle against top talent from around the country and prove their worth to professional teams.

Offensive tackle Enrique Cruz Jr. and center Bryce Foster have apparently accepted opportunities to take part in both the Hula Bowl and the American Bowl, which occur 12 days apart in DeLand and Lakeland, Florida, respectively. Defensive tackle Tommy Dunn Jr., kicker Laith Marjan and running back Leshon Williams are headed to the Hula Bowl specifically, while guard Kobe Baynes, quarterback Jalon Daniels and linebacker Bangally Kamara will take part in the American Bowl.

Cruz and Foster were each All-Big 12 honorable mentions after concluding solid seasons on KU’s offensive line. Cruz spent one year with the Jayhawks as a transfer from Syracuse and was quietly quite effective as KU’s starting right tackle; Foster, a multi-sport standout who will now focus on football, anchored the line as its center for two seasons after beginning his career at Texas A&M.

Dunn spent all four years of his career with the Jayhawks and was a consistent contributor. The 2025 season was his most productive campaign statistically, as he finished with 26 tackles, including 2.5 sacks.

Marjan was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in both his final season at South Alabama and his lone year at KU. With the Jayhawks, he made his first 14 field-goal attempts to set a school record for consecutive made field goals, including a career-best 55-yarder against Texas Tech. He did end the year on a down note by missing three straight.

Williams came to KU from Iowa for his last year of eligibility and split touches with fellow running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. throughout the season, finishing the campaign with 97 carries for 560 yards and seven touchdowns — he had three on the ground the rest of his career combined — and two receiving scores for good measure.

Baynes, a second-team all-conference selection according to the Associated Press, started all 12 games at right guard each of his last two seasons at KU. He began his career at Louisville.

Daniels etched his name in the record books over the course of six distinguished years with the Jayhawks. He quarterbacked KU to one of its most memorable victories in recent history, the win at Texas in 2021, then burst onto the scene early in 2022 before injuries hampered back-to-back seasons. He served as the Jayhawks’ full-time starter in 2024 and 2025 and finished his career with 9,282 passing yards, 67 passing touchdowns and 23 rushing touchdowns.

Kamara played his sixth and final collegiate season at KU after previously spending time at Pittsburgh and South Carolina. The athletic weak-side linebacker recorded 56 tackles in 2025 with a team-leading 9.5 for loss, as well as a forced fumble and four pass breakups.

The Hula Bowl has hosted Jayhawks in the past, such as Jason Bean and Craig Young in 2024, and will take place on Jan. 10 at Stetson this year instead of UCF. The American Bowl is a new competition making its debut at Southeastern University on Jan. 22.

No KU players have accepted invitations to the prestigious Senior Bowl or East-West Shrine Game to this point.

More Jayhawks could be headed to some sort of all-star competition in January. Wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr., for example, might receive a professional look of some kind, especially given his pure speed and kick-return prowess.

photo by: Nathan Friedman/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas linebacker Bangally Kamara and defensive tackle Tommy Dunn Jr. secure a tackle in the backfield during the game against Iowa State on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Ames, Iowa.

photo by: AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

Kansas place kicker Laith Marjan (99) during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Columbia, Mo.

photo by: AP Photo/Annie Rice

Kansas running back Leshon Williams (4) catches the ball for a touchdown during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.